A thrilling driver’s championship battle concluded at the final F1 race of the season in Abu Dhabi in 2025.
Lando Norris went into the race with a 12-point lead at the top, with Oscar Piastri just a further four points behind second-place Max Verstappen.
That meant any one of the top three could end the day as world champion depending on how things played out at the Yas Marina Circuit.
In the end, an engrossing tactical battle played out on the track and in the pit lane as McLaren and Red Bull did everything they could to end the day in celebration.
Who won F1 driver’s championship?
Lando Norris won the 2025 F1 driver’s championship despite finishing behind both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen won the race from pole position, with Piastri — who overtook Norris in the early stages — finishing second.
Norris went into the race knowing that, as long as he was at least in third place, the wider result of the race did not matter. He duly produced a diligent, disciplined drive to ensure he finished top of the drivers’ standings by two points.
McLaren received a lot of criticism for their strategies in recent weeks — Norris should realistically have sewn up the championship before this final weekend — but they got things spot on here. When the pacey Charles Leclerc threatened to close on Norris and potentially challenge for P3, they made a swift pit stop to get the championship leader on fresh tyres and mitigate the risk of being caught. When Verstappen pulled so far clear that there was potential for an extra stop to back up traffic and put Norris’ position under threat, Piastri made sure to claw back that time.
The final laps may have felt nerve-wracking, but Norris looked supreme. He was in tears as he thanked his team and all his family over the radio.
Land🍩#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/DGpMUv4FUS
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 7, 2025
“Oh, God. I’ve not cried in a while. I didn’t think I would cry, but I did,” he said trackside after the race.
“It’s a long journey. I want to say thanks to my guys, everyone at McLaren, my parents. They’re the ones who supported me since the beginning.
“It feels amazing. I know what Max feels like, a little bit! I want to congratulate Max, and Oscar. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been a long year, but we did it.”
Over to you, Lando 🎙️
The first interview with our new world champion! #F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/py5OTzAxCg
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 7, 2025
F1 driver’s championship final 2025 standings
Norris won the title by two points following the engrossing final race in Abu Dhabi.
F1 Drivers’ World Championship 2025
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
| 1. | Lando Norris | McLaren | 423 |
| 2. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 421 |
| 3. | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 410 |
| 4. | George Russell | Mercedes | 319 |
| 5. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 242 |
| 6. | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 156 |
| 7. | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 150 |
| 8. | Alexander Albon | Williams | 73 |
| 9. | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 64 |
| 10. | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 56 |
| 11. | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 51 |
| 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | 49 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 42 |
| 14. | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 38 |
| 15. | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 38 |
| 16. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 34 |
| 17. | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 33 |
| 18. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 22 |
| 19. | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 19 |
| 20. | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 0 |
| 21 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | 0 |
F1 Constructors’ Championship 2025
| Position | Team | Points |
| 1. | McLaren | 833 |
| 2. | Mercedes | 469 |
| 3. | Red Bull | 451 |
| 4. | Ferrari | 398 |
| 5. | Williams | 137 |
| 6. | Racing Bulls | 92 |
| 7. | Aston Martin | 90 |
| 8. | Haas | 80 |
| 9. | Kick Sauber | 68 |
| 10. | Alpine | 22 |
How many times has Norris won the F1 driver’s title?
This was Norris’ first F1 driver’s title.
He is the eighth McLaren driver to claim the championship, following in the footsteps of Emerson Fittipaldi (1974), James Hunt (1976), Niki Lauder (1984), Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989), Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991), Mika Hakkinen (1998, 1999), and Lewis Hamilton (2008).
When does the next F1 season start?
F1 now takes a break for the rest of December through to the end of January.
Preseason testing then takes place in Sakhir, Bahrain on February 11-13 and February 18-20.
The 2026 season starts with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8.
